Implications for practice and research

The study confirms previous research findings suggesting that behavioural interventions that encourage goal setting and frequent
self-monitoring can result in significant, positive behavioural change, even in a population with fairly entrenched behavioural
patterns.

Non-targeted behaviours may be affected through a process of complementary behavioural change.

Additional research is needed to better understand whether and how changes in non-targeted behaviours occur in adults, as
this could lead to more efficient interventions.

Use of mobile technology to encourage self-monitoring has the potential to provide exceptionally rich data for researchers
studying the behaviour change process. However, the relative advantage of such technology over low-technology self-monitoring
methods in terms of participant …